In early June I came across the most beautiful wild rose bud, highlighted by the late day sun. The plentiful rose bushes take their turn in the summer spotlight, lining the trails with pink petals of every hue.

This year, in particular, I found myself noticing them with a particular fondness - they seemed more brilliant and fragrant than I could ever recall and my muse they became. Acrylic paint on canvas, weavings, photography, mixed media on watercolour on panel - ​I wanted to see where the multi-faceted wild rose would take me.

Each piece in this mini series takes a look into one characteristic of the wild rose, throughout its summer life cycle. All images in this series are for sale, available for delivery locally and shipping within Canada. ​

​Wild Rose: Rosebud

Digital Photography on Layered Wood

5" x 7" (x 0.75")

edge is natural wood colour with exposed layers

matte, lightly textured lamination

keyhole back for hanging

​This Wild Rose bud, highlighted in the late day sunshine, was a key part of how and why the mini series unfolded. Although Wild Roses are a plentiful and familiar sight, scenes like this beckoned me to take a closer look - perhaps a reminder to truly stop and smell the roses!

Order and chaos collide in the wildness of the rose bushes. This small watercolour & ink block was my playful interpretation of the Wild Rose in full bloom - the trails bursting at the seams, dotted with plentiful pink petals.

sold

​​Wild Rose 3: Texture

​Mixed Fibres Weaving​

16" x 3"

This mini weaving is an abstract depiction of a variety of textures within the Wild Rose bush integrating both natural and synthetic materials. Did you know that much of this plant has traditionally been used for food and medicinal purposes?

What colours would represent the sweet fragrance of the Wild Rose? How could I transfer my experience in the trails to a two dimensional form? This piece is my answer to these questions, painting layer upon layer until only the colours and shapes deemed most necessary remained.

The next pieces incorporate matter harvested from wild rose shrubs. This artwork utilizes petals which become a silky, delicate, paper-like material once pressed and dried. Inspired by the subtlety of texture within the five main petals, various techniques and materials were layered on a miniature wood block. ​$35Purchase Contact Form

​Wild Rose 7: Rose Hips

​Mixed Media Sculpture​

2" x 4" x 3.25" (jar height: 6.5")

clay, dried wild rose sepal & stamen, acrylic, wool roving

Blending whimsy with realism, this mixed media sculpture features the fruit of the rose. At the end of the blooming cycle, and before the fruit is formed, I harvested the sepal and stamen and used it in the sculpture once dried. Incorporating natural elements speaks to the idea that we may overlook the value of the life around us - something I find myself returning to, time and again.

The final piece in the series explored the role of the thorn - the defence mechanism of the Wild Rose. A stark contrast to the fragility of the petals, the thorns served to me a metaphor for our own desire to protect ourselves. The thorns were carefully removed and painted gold before finding their place within this small abstract piece.